Eat Static are a stunning end to Saturday as rain falls through the laser beams

Alchemy Festival 2010 review

By Darren Luckhurst | Published: Thu 23rd Sep 2010

around the festival site (1)

Friday 17th to Sunday 19th September 2010
Scholey Park, 1 mile from Coningsby & Tattershall, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England MAP
early bird adult £50, under 18 £10, family £118
Last updated: Wed 1st Sep 2010

Early Saturday morning woken to the delightful sounds of Sambalada and their truly brilliant percussion. The guy who leads them has so much energy for what he does and they clearly love this festival and draw a large crowd dancing along to the beats. Next up were Spiral Scouts who were disappointing at a time when I just wanted to dance some more. A very acoustic kind of sound and perhaps more suited to the Liberty stage than the Kaplick.

around the festival site (5)
Come lunchtime and a chance to check out the food offerings on site. All seemed reasonably priced and despite the fact that I didn't sample it mention should go to the clay oven pizza stall because of the sheer numbers who said to me over the weekend how reasonably priced it was and how it was the finest pizza they'd ever tasted, Armed with my lunch I popped over to the kids area to see many participating in circus skills workshops including diablos and tight rope walking and also the Parkour workshop that was taking place. This looked like a great offering for the many attendees with kids at the festival and it certainly fits the bill as a family friendly festival.

Deferred Sucess
I headed towards the Liberty stage to catch Deferred Sucess (not a spelling mistake) playing their brand of Essex folk punk including a well received cover of Carter USM's Sheriff Fatman and a couple of catchy songs from car adverts off the tv. A fine set and Doozer and his fellow band member Andy were impressed with the sound mix provided by Sounds Awesome who provided the sound on this stage.

around the festival site (3)
Through the mists of many balloon sculptures that AJ had been making in front of the main stage over the last couple of hours I headed back to my tent via the Efests camp to say hi to some friends and caught part of Sam Copsey's set. A very young acoustic guitarist with a range of cover versions such as 'Sing' by Travis and some of his own compositions which show a song writing maturity that belies his years.

I took the chance during a break in the music to take a stroll through the beautifully decorated wooded areas of the site and along by the river and have to conclude that it gives the site a real earthy beauty and I began to regret missing Porta Party's set in the woods the previous night as many I spoke to were raving about this today.

Next up were festival stalwarts Hobo Jones & The Junkyard Dogs who drew a large crowd to the Philosophers Stone stage and played a storming set including their cover of 'American Idiot', their theme tune written by Doozer from Deferred Sucess and a closing version of 'Drunken Sailor' which got everyone singing and swaying along.

around the festival site (2)
Another chance to look around and I discovered the Silent Disco tent tucked away right at the bottom of the site, this seemed a little misplaced as it wasn't an area getting much footfall and as a result on this and subsequent trips to that end of the site was lacking punters, maybe it was an attraction too far as there was plenty going on beside this constantly.

around the festival site (4)
Once darkness had taken hold I caught Poeticat on the Kaplick stage and their folk n word sound. Poetry set to music based on the lead vocalists life experiences and with particularly uplifting moments being 'Neighbourhood' and the 'Moomin Song'.

I finished Saturday night in a dancy vein with the awesome Subsource on the Mushroom stage driven by their electric double bass and solid beats behind it. The tent felt packed for this one and everyone was loving it and as they finished I headed to Eat Static, newly installed as Philosophers Stone stage headliners and a fitting end to the evening as rain fell through the laser beams creating a truly stunning effect.
review by: Darren Luckhurst

photos by: Gary Stafford


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